Brick Township Memorial High School (Photo: Daniel Nee)
New Jersey officials released the first ever rankings of schools and school districts based on a new teacher evaluation system Thursday, with reactions ranging from polite pats on the back, to confusion, to outrage.
Brick fared well in the 2013-14 ranking, with one of the state’s highest percentage of teachers receiving “effective” evaluations or better. The district did, however, receive the second-lowest number of teachers statewide who received “highly effective” evaluation scores. Just two percent of teachers were ranked that way, though factors such as the district’s individual evaluation practices come into play when determining how effective teachers are judged to be.
The evaluation rankings, known as “AchieveNJ,” which includes a number of methods to rank teachers including, in some cases, their students’ grades. About 15 percent of teacher evaluations counted in the state’s rankings had their students’ performance factored in. The vast majority of teachers statewide received rankings of effective or highly effective, but about 2,900 received scores that were “partially effective” or “ineffective.” The law that created AchieveNJ requires those teachers to receive extra support and to demonstrate progress over time to earn or maintain tenure.
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“While one year of this new data is insufficient for identifying sustained trends or making sweeping conclusions about the state’s teaching staff, we are proud of this significant improvement and the personalized support all educators are now receiving,” said Peter Shulman, Assistant Commissioner of Education and Chief Talent Officer.
How Brick’s Teachers Ranked
- Ineffective or Partially Effective: 5
- Effective: 723
- Highly Effective: 16
The number of teachers individually ranked ineffective or partially effective was suppressed by the state because there were fewer than 10 teachers ranked this way. In cases such as Brick’s, the numbers were suppressed due to privacy concerns.
Similarly, 25 out of 27 of the district’s principals and vice principals were ranked effective. Two were ranked either ineffective or partially effective. None were ranked highly effective.
School by School Rankings
- Brick Township High School: No data, likely because 100 percent of teachers were ranked “effective.” Under state law, when 100 percent of teachers are ranked in the same category, the record is suppressed since effectively, this would reveal an employee’s evaluation ranking.
- Brick Memorial High School: 123 out of 124 “effective.”
- Lake Riviera Middle School: No data, likely because 100 percent of teachers were ranked “effective.” Under state law, when 100 percent of teachers are ranked in the same category, the record is suppressed since effectively, this would reveal an employee’s evaluation ranking.
- Veterans Memorial Middle School: 85 out of 89 “effective.”
- Primary Learning Center (now known as Warren H. Wolf Elementary): 29 out of 31 “effective.”
- Drum Point Road Elementary School: 35 out of 39 “effective.”
- Herbertsville Elementary School: No data, likely because 100 percent of teachers were ranked “effective.” Under state law, when 100 percent of teachers are ranked in the same category, the record is suppressed since effectively, this would reveal an employee’s evaluation ranking.
- Lanes Mill Elementary School: 42 out of 43 “effective.”
- Midstreams Elementary School: 36 out of 37 “effective.”
- Osbornville Elementary School: 23 out of 30 “effective.”
- Veterans Memorial Elementary School: No data, likely because 100 percent of teachers were ranked “effective.” Under state law, when 100 percent of teachers are ranked in the same category, the record is suppressed since effectively, this would reveal an employee’s evaluation ranking.
- Emma Havens Young Elementary School: 73 out of 74 “effective.”
